Issue 193: Goodbye, GMOs.

However you say it, more and more people are saying “goodbye” to GMOs in their diet because, simply put, they feel so much better without them. It’s no wonder, either, because research continues to indicate that GMOs trigger body-wide inflammatory responses, which, of course, can set the stage for an array of unhealthy outcomes. In fact, Dr. Martha Grout from the Arizona Center for Advanced Medicine in Scottsdale is among a group of progressive-thinking doctors who understand that the body, in essence, rejects GMOs and their foreign DNA as poisons.

Yes. Poisons.

Grout’s not alone in her thinking about GMOs and their ill effects on health, either. Dr. Emily Lindner, an internist with 27 years of medical experience and practice in internal medicine, says, “I tell my patients to avoid genetically modified foods because, in my experience with those foods, there is more allergies and asthma. When I change people from a GMO diet to a GMO-free diet, I see results instantaneously in people who have foggy thinking and people who have gut symptoms like bloating, gas, irritation. In terms of allergies, it might take two to five days [to see relief].”

Of course, these doctors and others aren’t the first to suggest kicking out GMOs from the diet. Back in 2009, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) called for an indefinite moratorium on GMOs. In other words, they wanted to give GMOs the boot due to all the health anomalies associated with them.

The truth is that animal studies reveal that GMOs are proven to bring out neurological, behavioral and psychological changes that can also be found in humans. As a matter of fact, animal studies show that GMOs cause erratic behavior—including hyperactivity—while messing up the GI tract and causing bowel problems.

Interestingly, both of these are present in autistic children, and many doctors believe that GMOs are major contributors to autism symptoms. It wasn’t any surprise, then, when Dr. Don Huber, Ph.D., a professor emeritus at Purdue University in Indiana, had a doctor explain to him that he’d been seeing these exact side effects in his autistic patients.

If you’re wondering how it is that genetically engineered crops can lead to such unhealthy ends, it is important to understand that the technology used in GM crops inserts foreign genes into their DNA, followed by the cloning of those cells into plants. Here are some outgrowths of this process:

Regardless of what foreign gene is used, the plant’s DNA is damaged, leading to possible added toxins, carcinogens or allergens. For example, a new allergen has been produced in GM corn as well as significant allergen increases in GM soy. GM crops also contain additional genetic content from bacteria and viruses, which are “new” to the human diet—as well as the immune system—and can be problematic. Dr. Grout points out, “Genetically modified foods create inflammation in the system.” That, of course, can lead to immune responses such as allergies and autoimmune diseases as well as diabetes and heart disease. Along that line, Dr. Lindner also sees the impact of GMOs as “an immune or inflammatory response.”

Likewise, the gene placed into some GM corn and cotton produces a poison called Bt-toxin, which is designed to kill specific insects by breaking holes in their digestive tracts—and a recent study confirms that Bt-toxin also breaks holes in human cells. Additionally, a 2011 Canadian study found Bt-toxin circulating in the blood of 93 percent of pregnant women tested—and in 80 percent of their unborn babies. Therefore, in addition to creating inflammation and a “leaky” gut, it may also be free to cause destruction via our bloodstream. This could be especially dangerous for infants whose blood-brain barrier isn’t mature enough to keep these toxins out.

To top it all off, the only human feeding study to date has confirmed that part of the gene in GM soybeans (Roundup Ready) can transfer into the DNA of our intestinal bacteria—resulting in its perpetuation in our digestive tracts, where it can continue to wreak its unhealthy havoc.

That’s a lot of GMO-free food for thought, huh? Maybe by now you’re ready to join the ranks and say, “Goodbye, GMOs.”

I already have.

This information is intended for educational and informational
purposes only. It should not be used in place of an individual consultation or examination
or replace the advice of your health care professional and should not be relied upon to determine
diagnosis or course of treatment.